Mortal Music
by SpaceDustDreamer
Summary: Not many things left Nico Di Angelo speechless after all he'd seen in his life and as Nico stared dumbstruck at the golden haired boy strumming a guitar by the campfire, singing songs he'd never heard, things seemed to just fit into place. Will somehow manages to seduce the Son of Hades further into infatuation with a new song each day. (some swearing, lots of fluff)
1. Chapter 1 - Perfect Strangers

**HI HI ALL! This is the first thing I've ever written here. I have decided to use Fanfiction as a way to keep my writing in tip top condition as well as learn new techniques and hopefully get feedback. You may find some parts of my writing rather stiff at some points, because college is still fresh in my mind X) but I hope you like this!** **So naturally for my first piece I had to go to my favourite Pairing Solangelo! please enjoy and feel free to leave me feedback!**

 **Playlist for Fic:** **/spacedustdreamer/mortal-music**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters or Percy Jackson. All characters and titles belong to Rick Riordan. I also do not own any of the songs mentioned in this fanfiction. All rights go to their respectful owners.**

Nico wasn't one for social gatherings after a busy day and would have preferred to have retired straight away to his cabin to collapse onto his bed and drift off before the next day could begin. But after a particularly long day of training, a group of young Demigods had decided to meet by the lake after dinner. The boys took it upon them to build up a small campfire by the shoreline while the girls set up blankets and chairs to relax on. They lit the fire just as the sun had begun to set, making the endless rising embers seem to glow all the more brightly against the golden sky.

All the while the son of Hades hung at the back of the group, sat idly on the sand watching the progress. If he were completely honest with himself there was only one reason why he was here. He had overheard Piper say something about a particular son of Apollo and how he would be joining to provide the music for the gathering, apparently despite his lack of natural skill, he seemed to posses an interesting performance quality. Her exact words that caught his attention were "If you haven't heard him play, you haven't lived." And Nico was very curious as to what kind of 'living' one young man's musical ability could provide.

-(page break)-

By the time Will Solace arrived at the campfire it was significantly dark. The glow of the fire was easily spotted by the water's edge and eight figures were already sat comfortably around the glittering flame, chatting and laughing between themselves. Will's hand tightened slightly around the guitar he was holding onto with one hand, his other loosely placed in his pockets, as he approached.  
"About time!" Piper grinned. She was the first to spot him from across the way, "What took you so long?"  
"Sorry," he smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck. "There was an issue in the infirmary involving an arrow and a gluteus maximus"  
There were a few snickers from around the fire, as well as the subtle muttering of one Percy Jackson turning to Annabeth in a moment of "I don't get it..." To which she quickly explained through her laughter.

One back remained turned to him the whole time. The black haired boy he had become familiarised with as Nico di Angelo. Will studied the boys back for a second. Nico looked tense, almost out of place. Will felt the need to reach out to the boy and strike up a conversation to lighten his mood a bit. Or at least he did, until he noticed the laughter had died down and all eyes were back on him.  
Piper was the first to (no pun intended) pipe up, "Come on over here, Will. Let's get started. Why don't we do the one we worked on last Tuesday?"  
He nodded with a smile and walked across the sand to sit beside Piper, who shuffled over towards Will slightly from where she sat next to Jason. During the moments he was spending checking the tuning of the strings and the position of the capo on his guitar he spoke in a voice a bit more confident then he felt, "Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, you'll have to forgive my playing. My usual instrument is a stethoscope so I haven't had much practice, but thanks to Piper, you're stuck with me tonight."  
"I'm surprised she didn't have to charmspeak you into doing it" Percy grinned as others laughed at his comment.  
"To be honest" Will readjusted his grip on the instrument, ready to play, "She probably did. I try to avoid singing in public, apparently it upsets the wildlife." More laughs filled the night and as the Blonde looked around the fire at all the smiling faces, he noticed one that didn't quite fit in.

There he was once again; Nico, stealing his attention like a thief in the night, silent and subtle, unaware of how powerful that stare of his was and how it caused a chill to travel down Will's spine. Nico looked almost uncomfortable as he watched him. Will decided that it was probably just the heat of the flames that stood between them disorienting his perception of the pale boy's expression and tore his own blue eyes away from the dark ones of his rival in the momentary staring competition.

Before the silence could return Will began playing a series of chords, "So, fellow Demigods. As a son of Apollo I guess it's my duty to educate you all in the art of music. So here is a current 'classic' of the mortal realm; _Perfect Strangers_ by Jonas Blue!"  
Will was sure he heard Jason mutter "'classic' my ass!" followed by more giggles and nudges within the group, causing himself to smile. Until once again his eye locked onto those of Mr di Angelo.

-(page break)-

Nico couldn't seem to rip his eyes away from the boy across the fire from him and how his hands delicately played at the strings of the guitar. He couldn't tell if Will was occasionally glancing back at him or not occasionally between the groups tennis match of jokes and sassy remarks. The flames were slightly too high for him to be one hundred percent sure, but regardless his stomach was in knots. He felt himself trying intently to figure out just what it was that was made Will so appealing in this moment. Granted musical talent was an attractive thing, but anyone could pick up a guitar and play well and Nico may not find them this appealing.

It was bizarre though. Granted, Piper was the better singer; Nico had also heard countless other sons of Apollo sing and play an instrument, and compared to them, Will was flawed. However, that's what made his performance so enchanting. There was a raw edge to his voice and how he carried a melody, his voice didn't follow the perfect almost heavenly tune that his siblings shared. Nico began to think that this made this particular son of Apollo an even better performer than any other (or maybe he was being rather biased).

It was when Will began to sing that Nico let out an an audible gasp, drawing the eyes of those sat next to him to his reddening face. Hazel sat on one side, Percy on the other watched him with smiles and snickers until he quickly drew his eyes down to the sand. Trying to focus more on Piper's voice as she harmonised with the blonde, seemed to be all in vain. Nico slowly braved looking up again at the son of Apollo only to find two blue eyes staring straight back at him paired with a subtle smile (or was it a smirk?) as he began to sing the words of the chorus, which held a very direct message. And all the while, their eyes were boring into each others very souls.

He willed himself to look away, to focus his attention on something, anything other than those intense blue eyes, but he just couldn't do it. As the melody laced lyrics poured from the young man's being as honey would fall from a jar of pure sweet goodness, Nico found himself falling further and further under attack of the swarms of butterflies in his stomach. The worst part of it was fear he currently felt. It wasn't like the fear he felt when faced with a monster or a life threatening prophecy. It was a different kind of fear entirely, and he kind of liked it?

 **I may write chapter 2 soon guys if this goes well. please leave a review and tell me what you think! love you all 3**


	2. Chapter 2 - East

**So I got a couple messages asking me to continue this story! it meant so much to me! it may seem small to a few people to have only a few message motivate me so much, but it means the world to me! 3**

 **so here is chapter 2!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or concepts. Everything belongs to Rick Riordan!**

 **everything belongs to its rightful owner.**

 **Song to listen to alongside this chapter:** ** _East_** **by** **Sleeping at Last**

 **Playlist for fic:** **/spacedustdreamer/mortal-music**

 **~Enjoy~**

Will stared up at the ceiling above his bed, eyes wide, fingers gripping onto the sheets and heart racing. Whilst he was used to waking up every day at the crack of dawn (It was a 'blessing' most Apollo kids had to live with) he found himself up before anyone else, and way before the sunrise. If he was honest, he had struggled to sleep at all, which was ridiculous considering that the campfire hangout had not ended until past curfew. It was Annabeth who had hurried everyone along before the patrol Harpies could catch them out. Will should have had no problem sleeping, but every time he closed his eyes he found himself thinking back to the same dark eyes.

Eventually, he decided he couldn't take another minute of restlessness and swung his legs over the side of his bed. The other snoozing Apollo kids around him seemed oblivious to his movement, or the sound of creaking floorboards as he walked, bare feet padding quietly, to his clothes, eager to get dressed and do something, anything to shake him out of his trance. He picked up a bow, which was hung lazily on the back of a chair. Its weight felt heavy in his hands. He hadn't really enjoyed archery since..  
With a final glance at his sleeping half-siblings, the blonde zipped up his jacket and stepped out into the cold morning air. He didn't pay too much mind to closing the door quietly. A firework could be going off inside their cabin and they probably wouldn't wake up, but as soon as the tiniest ray of sunshine touched the skies, they would be up in a flash. Typical Cabin Seven behaviour really.

It wasn't long before Will was shooting arrows at a target, with almost perfect aim every time yet not much more than expected of a regular camper. He didnt have his fathers skill in the sport. Even though he wasn't as skilled as his siblings in archery he could at least land the arrows on the target every time he picked up a bow, but on this particular visit he was distracted and missed the bullseye, and board, more than he would care to admit. Each time an arrow fell short of the target it was thanks to a familiar memory swimming in his mind. The subtle glow of the fire the night before, crackling its own melody that paired perfectly with the guitar he had been holding in his hands. And a boy sat on the other side of the flames. He kept drawing arrow after arrow, shooting at the target then collecting his arrows only to repeat the process again almost mechanically by the time the sun had risen. Others had began to fill the grounds as people made their way to the dining pavilion so he decided to take advantage of the morning rush and headed back to his now empty cabin. He went to the showers to set his mind straight.

By the time he had gotten out of the water stream and was once again dressed in clean clothes he had come to a few conclusions.

One: Nico had been staring.. Or glaring..? At him at night last night. This could either be because he disliked the boy.. Or Will could have had something on his face last night.. Or Nico was interested in the music.  
Two: Will had been staring back. It was a weird move, not usually something he would do but he kind of enjoyed the rush of it all.  
Three: Nico was a distraction and there was no way Will would be able to go about his usual duties. He had to talk to him again today to figure out something. Anything.

With ninety seven points still left to mentally revise, Will was pulled out of his daydream by a knock at the cabin door. He ruffled his blonde hair again in an attempt to rid it of any droplets of water and walked to the door, only to find the last person he expected, but the only person he hoped to see stood on the other side of his door.

-(page break)-

The two boys stared silently at each other from either side of the doorway, they seemed frozen in time, unable to say or do anything. It felt like they had been stood there forever before Nico cleared his throat and wet his lips, as if he was about to speak. No words followed.  
Will stepped aside "Do you want to come in?"  
"Sure" Nico stepped into the cabin, hands in his pockets as he looked around at the walls.  
It was quiet and awkward and both boys knew it.  
"Isn't there a rule that two campers can't be alone in a cabin together?" _Stupid question_. Will had been here longer than Nico had. He should have known the answer.  
"No.. that's about boys and girls." The shorter boy corrected him, sounding almost bored as he approached a desk and pulled an arrow out of the oak surface.  
"Oh, that's good," Will seemed to match his tone to Nico's.  
"I liked your singing last night, Solace." It wasn't exactly the way he wanted to start the conversation but time was ticking along and soon people would be wondering where they were. He didn't want people knowing that the powerful and fearful Son of Hades had been visiting another camp member to admit how captivated he had been by him. His voice got quieter and wavered slightly, "I was wondering if you'd show me more?"  
There was a moment of silence that lasted a bit too long for him to stand. Suddenly the door behind him felt really inviting, but then floor boards creaked and there was the familiar sound of air brushing past metal strings and a hand grasping a wooden surface. Glancing behind he could see Will had picked up his guitar and was walking to sit onto his bed. Blue eyes stared up at Brown ones as Will patted the area on the bed in front of him. Nico's heart seemed to leap out of his chest as he walked over slowly to sit on the other end of the bed.  
"Heard of _Sleeping at Last_?" The blonde asked as he crossed his legs and adjusted a few strings.  
Nico shook his head, his eyes following the other boys hands. For a kid who had spent most of his life at camp and had probably been worked to the bone, but his hands seemed nimble yet also strong. There was a comforting delicate way about how he touched and held things.  
"This is a song called _East_ "

The young man's chest seemed to rise and fall as he took a breath before his fingers passed over the strings with great accuracy, creating beautiful sounds that seemed to fill the cabin and bounce off the walls only to sound a million times more beautiful in their echo. And then he began to sing. Oh, how he could sing. That distinctive voice of him that brought back memories of the night before. Nico's throat seemed to go dry, his palms grew sweaty and his chest ached. This was the feeling, the reason, he came to see this boy because of. In the sea of people that lived in the camp, this kid seemed to radiate something special in everything he did. He seemed to glow with warmth and talent and beauty. Especially in this moment, he literally seemed to be glowing. It was strange but he had this aura about him that made him seem to catch the light that streamed in through the window.  
And the words. The words he sung seemed to pull at Nico's heart. To hear them roll off his tongue gave them so much more emotion than he could imagine had ever been heard before.

Suddenly the music stopped and Will was staring at his visitor with wide eyes and furrowed brows. He looked overly concerned and almost stunned as he hesitated before reaching towards the other boy, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Nico, are you okay?"  
Confusion swept over Nico as he blinked a few times "yeah, I-" his voice sounded strange, almost tight, forced. A coldness swept down his cheeks and Nico raised a hand to his face to find tears falling from his eyes.  
Will Solace's singing had brought him to tears.

 _How humiliating._

 **Please leave a review to let me know what you do and don't like guys! I will probably post another chapter soon if people want me to. Love you all 3**


	3. Chapter 3 - Lua

**~~This chapter is a bit different in the sense that its a bit longer and it only follows one point of view. but don't worry I will dedicate the next one fully to Nico x)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing blah blah blah, all goes to its respectful owner, Uncle Rick rules.**

 **Song: _Lua_ by Bright eyes**

 **Playlist for Fic:** **/spacedustdreamer/mortal-music**

 **Enjoy~~**

Will stared wide eyes at the teary eyed boy across from him. A moment of silence passed before he repeated his question, hand still on his shoulder "Are you okay?" He was genuinely worried about him. His thumb gently passed across his shoulder in a soothing way as he softly tightened his grip, and, silence. "Nico?" The Blonde reached up with his other hand to brush away his tears but his own hand was met with the sharp slap from a paler one. Nico batted his hand away at the last second.  
"Crap!" He cursed almost silently and stood up abruptly, fists clenched at his sides, staring wide eyed at the floor, tears still falling. Will watched him in shock. The clock on the wall ticked by, Will counted its rhythm, still watching the boy; _12, 13, 14, 15..  
_ Nico furiously wiped at his eyes, trying to stop the flow of tears, still muttering curses under his breath. He seemed to swap between cursing in English, Greek and Italian, which stuck Will as strange but he didn't bring it up.  
"Was my singing _that_ bad?" It was too late by the time he realised what he had said. Nico froze and glanced at the Blonde from the corner of his eyes. It looked more like a glare though which caused Will to erupt in a series of drabbles and stuttering sentences, "It's just I know I'm not the best singer in the cabin! I mean my guitar is a bit rusty- I don't have time to practice often because I'm usually so busy in the infirmary, should I practice more?"  
Will stared in horror as Nico covered his face with his hands, it could have been his imagination but he swore that the frail boy was shaking. _Oh Gods!_ He'd really messed up now, Will had caused Nico to start sobbing! "Don't Cry, if it's that bad I'll practice more! I'd hate to have this effect on you- I mean, on _people_ every time I play. I'm supposed to make people feel better, not make them cry! I-"  
It was then that laughter filled the cabin. Nico wasn't crying, at least not through sadness. Now he was laughing. That's why he'd been shaking, he had been trying not to crack up at the other boys sudden burst of anxiety and guilt.  
"How in Hades are you responsible for a whole cabin?" He cackled as he wiped at his cheeks again, removing all evidence of tears.  
Will felt a slight pang in his heart at his words, but he knew it was a joke or sorts, and it was better than having a crying boy stood across the room for him. Laughter was much better than crying. The hurt didn't last a second compared to the shock though. There was something astonishing but also kind of sweet about this particular young man's laughter. It kind of reminded Will of a solar eclipse. Beautiful, amazing and rare, but he was slightly sceptical as to whether or not he should be witnessing it or if he was even worthy.  
It seemed strange for him to cherish such a moment, but in all honesty those fourteen and a half seconds that he had witnessed Nico di Angelo laughing, had been the best moment of his entire week. He smiled and put down his guitar then opened the draw of his bedside table, pulling out a granola bar. "Here," he threw one bar over to Nico, who surprisingly still managed to catch it, his reflexes were pretty sharp. No wonder people were so wary of him, despite obvious aesthetic reasons..  
"Whats this?"  
"A granola bar."  
Nico looked unimpressed, "you know what I mean."  
"We've already missed a sizeable chunk of breakfast so I thought you could use a healthy snack. Something to keep your systems running." He tore the wrapper off his own bar and too a bite.  
"My systems are just fine, thanks" He spoke as if he would throw the bar back to him but instead he sat back on the bed and copied Will's last action. "Why do you have these? How did you get them?"  
"Favours," Will replied "Sometimes I have to do overtime looking after patients so that means early mornings and late evenings. It only makes sense that I have things like this handy. Just to stop me from running on empty."

Not a moment later Will stood up again, carrying the bar between his teeth as he approached a speaker of sorts. After rummaging through a box that was placed beside it he pulled out a tape, which he put into the speaker. One of the kids over at the Hephaestus cabin had sorted this particular player out for the Apollo cabin as a gift of sorts. It had been built right back to basics, eliminating all threats of detection from monsters. It was especially handy for the kids who wanted to learn songs by ear, which required them to listen to the same song over and over several times. Some of the more musically talented and more experienced kids could play a song after hearing it once. The only problem was that every song they wanted to hear had to be transferred over to tape, which was a lot harder to do than it seemed in this particular generation.

The tape he had put in the player was a copy of the an album by a called Bright eyes. They were a bizarre band at best, always seemed to be changing, but Will respected that. Why restrict yourself to one genre when there was so much out there to enjoy? He subtly glanced behind him back at Nico, who was still eating his makeshift breakfast and seemed to be watching the world go by through the window. Taking hold of the granola bar between his teeth again, will took another bite, saving it from a heart breaking fall. No bar would be left behind today, not if he could help it.

Will proceeded to lean against the desk slightly, ankles crossed, shoulders relaxed. There was a fascinating quality to his current companion. Even when he wasn't purposefully hiding away Nico seemed distant and independent, he didn't need help with anything and was content that way, but it made Will even more curious. He noticed that even though the pale boy was sat in the direct morning sunlight he still looked almost transparent, like the shadows in the room were following him, trying their hardest to pull him away and hide him from the greedy eyes of the rest of the world.

Nico seemed to sense two particular eyes watching him and looked up. For a moment he looked almost younger, innocent, his big dark eyes and subtle yet feathery lashes paired with those sharp features and dark hair which framed his face lazily, as if he had rolled out of bed not moments ago, all worked in perfect harmony and made him seem like some sort of wondrous gift to the universe. But it lasted a split second. Nico barely blinked before his eyes seemed to age a hundred years with the sort of cliche pain that people write books or songs about, only much, much sadder. His eyebrows creased slightly and it seemed that his whole being was suddenly dedicated to scrutinising Will, as if judging whether or not he was a threat or just an annoyance. Will hoped it was at least the latter, as that was his best option.

"Are you trying to make a medical analysis of me or something?" Those dark eyes stayed locked onto the Blonde boy, who was suddenly coming back to his senses.  
"No, I just-" Will pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Sorry, I was zoned out. I didn't sleep too well last night." It wasn't exactly a lie but it still felt that by saying those words he had admitted that he had been kept up all night by those particular eyes.  
"Me Neither." Will looked up again, thinking that for a second he may have seen some colour creep into Nico's complexion, but it was probably just a trick of the light. Standing up almost silently Nico made his way over to the door and Will felt almost disappointed. "Can I drop by another time to see you?" Disappointment revoked.  
"Sure, anytime. Plenty granola bars where they came from," _Stupid comment_. But Will swore he heard a slight exhalation from the other boy. A silent laugh of sorts.  
"See you later, Solace." and with that Nico was out of the door, gone from the cabin but leaving behind a swarm of butterflies in Will's stomach.

 **~~Thank you so much for so many lovely comments! I still don't know how this site works very well so I don't know how to reply to you all but I love you all so much! thank you from the deepest darkest depths of my heart! there's some love there, if you get a torch and have a looksee I'm sure you'll find it. I wrapped a bow around it for you :3**

 **I'll write a new chapter when I am free, if anyone has a song recommendation that they want in this fic then let me know! :) ~~**


	4. Chapter 4 - Jinx

**~~As promised, some extra Nico, honestly, he is hard to write around. at least without making him seem like some moody cliche brat XD which I so badly want to avoid, he is so much more than that. :3**

 **How would you all feel about Will and Nico going on a little quest together? ;) Who would you want to be the third addition to the party? What songs do you want included in further chapters? Let me know!**

 **Also, There isn't really a set song for this chapter, I did listen to one song on repeat on the day i wrote it though which is probably why I wrote so much about Nico's feelings**

 **song (I guess):** ** _Jinx_** **by DNCE**

 **Playlist for Fic:** **/spacedustdreamer/mortal-music**

The rest of Nico's day seemed to drag relentlessly. The Sun seemed to be taunting him as if it knew he was waiting for its retreat. He found himself roaming the camp grounds aimlessly, avoiding all set out schedules and training sessions, classes. The only thing he found himself attending was dinner, and even then he couldn't face sitting restlessly at a table for more than ten minutes. He taped his fingers absentmindedly on the table until his fingertips felt numb.

Nico still couldn't get over the fact that some stupid song had made him cry. Well, not cry, he didn't feel sad, his emotions just spilled over for no reason. It made him want to run away, but that would mean going outside and risking people seeing him in that state. Will seemed to surprise him though.  
After he had also made a complete fool of himself he seemed to act completely normal again with Nico. there was no awkwardness. He had even given him a snack, insisting that he needed to eat to keep his strength up. It was a stupid useless gesture that somehow managed to make him feel this strange sort of sensation. It was like a mix between feeling what he could only describe as blessed and content.

' _Anytime.'_ The word rung in his ear as if it were a mantra, a word to live by. Sweet and inviting yet also strangely dangerous. There was something inside him that wanted to say ' _Okay, then that means_ always _right? I don't have to even leave your side?'_ But then Nico nearly choked on the air he was breathing, ashamed that a thought so cheesy passed through his mind.

Eventually Nico stood up, his plate still full, but his mind too occupied to eat. There was a lack of Apollo kids at their table. The infirmary must have been busy as most of the kids who were gone were those who specialised in healing.  
Before Nico could make his stealthy retreat his path was blocked by a taller boy. A sigh escaped the young man before he even looked up to meet the eyes of Jason. It would be wrong for Nico to say he didn't like Jason; In fact he valued him highly (even though he would never admit that out loud).  
"What's wrong?" Jason asked, his voice a mix between stern and concerned.  
"Nothing." Nico groaned, pushing Jason's shoulder as he barged past, walking away from the pavilion.  
"Hey! Nico," Jason was stubborn at best sometimes, a little nosey. He seemed to put a lot of pressure on his shoulders when it came to finding things out, as if the universe hadn't yet informed him that all Nico's personal events didn't concern him. "Come on. You're being distant. At least.. More so than usual. Tell me whats wrong."

They made it far enough away from the pavilion, thank the gods, before Jason gently grabbed the Son of Hades shoulder and turned Nico to face him. Nico stared up at him with a furious glare, he could tell his gaze had sent a chill down the young man's spine.  
The last thing he wanted was for someone to get involved in his business and ruin it. He wasn't sure if he was going through what he thought he was going through, but if he was, he knew it was fragile beyond belief. One wrong move and BAM- ruined. You couldn't just jinx things like that by blabbing about it. He had to take his time and be cautious. If there was too much action those skeletal butterflies could be crushed. Reduced to a pile of dust and bones.  
Nico felt a blush creeping up his cheeks, his ears burning red as he glared at the jock-like boy. It was becoming increasingly hard to maintain his cold stare as thoughts of Will and his stupid granola bars filled his mind.

"Oh. my. Gods." Jason's breathless words brought Nico back to the present. "It's a boy."  
Nico stared at him almost confused, "what?" he saw the glint in Jason's eyes waver for a second, almost as if he were disappointed, before Nico figured out what he meant and he blew it, causing the mischievous (and slightly proud?) glint to return back to Jason's eye "What?! No! Gods, just drop it Jason!" Nico turned quickly and began pacing away as quickly as he could.  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Jason paced after him almost a little too eagerly. Being taller, Jason only had to take one step for every one and half steps Nico took. Nico preferred when Jason but on his 'quest face'. Concentrated and focused. This Jason was far too curious and almost Maternal. Nico tried not to think of Jason as his mother in that moment. That was just weird.  
"Stop bothering me" Nico said coldly, "I just want to be alone."  
Nico didn't need to look at the other boy to realise he had struck a nerve.  
A sigh escaped his lips as he slowed his pace "If there is anything to talk about, which there isn't! I swear I'll tell you about it. But only when I'm ready."

The older boy seemed satisfied with that promise and nodded as he stopped following Nico, his arms now crossed over his chest. "Just give me the word and i'm all ears. I want to know everything" He grinned and Nico felt himself smiling faintly. The people at camp could be a handful but they were reliable.

The night couldn't arrive soon enough and before he could fully collapse of exhaustion, Nico found himself staring up at the ceiling of his cabin. He was grateful to be able to just lie in bed and relax. It gave his mind time to process things. The window nearest his bed was open and sounds from the night surrounded him. Crickets chirped outside as a cool breeze gently rustled through the trees. The gentle wind caused the curtains to softly wave and flutter, pushing the chilly air through the room. He caught a scent that was slightly unfamiliar and rolled over before hugging at his pillow tightly and inhaling deeply. The pillow smelt fresh and almost floral. Hazel must have cleaned up the cabin again and changed over the sheets on the beds. What was that scent? Jasmine? Or Rose? The fresh flowery scents seemed a bit out of place in the dark building but Nico didn't really care what it was, he was just grateful for the gesture. Within moments he was falling asleep to the sound of the fire crackling in the torches by the door outside and the sweet smell from his pillow.  
Unfortunately sweet dreams were often short lived for Demigods. This wasn't unusual, in fact Demigods often had dreams that foretold events or warned them of things yet to come. Dreams were an important form of communication for them. So when Nico awoke in a cold sweat feeling shaken he had known that what he had dreamt was important. It was a shame he couldn't remember it, which couldn't be good news.

 **~~ So, surprise Jason visit, cause why not expand the universe a bit. Gotta seem real right?**

 **But why couldn't Nico remember his dream? What is the importance of this?**

 **we will never know... I kid. Of course we will!~~**


	5. Chapter 5 - Heartbeats

**~~Hey Hey Hey!**

 **Long time no read! I must apologise for my absence, I've been rather caught up lately. but hey! have this cool new snazzy feature. A playlist to accompany the fic!** **/spacedustdreamer/mortal-music**

 **This Chapters Song: Heartbeats by** **José González**

 **Enjoy~~**

The worst part about not remembering his dream was the uncomfortableness that followed. Nico felt as if there was someone breathing down his neck the entire day, making him feel on edge. He knew that it was all in his imagination but he couldn't shake the feeling that the dream was important. The air felt heavy around him as he paced back and forth through his cabin. Hazel had been to check up on him yet again after he missed breakfast, after having promised to go despite his disheveled mood in the morning. There was no hiding it from Hazel. She seemed to have this way of picking up on little things. No matter what feelings you were trying to suppress, Hazel would pick up on it.

" _You look_ terrible _!" she had said as soon as she crossed his path.  
_ _It was true. He did. One glance in the mirror and he noticed, he looked worse than death. Which was slightly ironic for two reasons. One being that he was the son of Hades, and the other, Death was actually remarkably beautiful according to Hazel. But nethertheless, Nico definitely looked like a guy who had just had a terrible night's sleep thanks to a nightmare he couldn't even describe. It was the lack of sleep that made him look terrible, but the feeling that came from the dream was what made him feel one hundred times worse.  
_ " _It was just a bad night's sleep, that's all." His exhaustion showed through his voice more than he anticipated causing the girl's eyebrows to knit together.  
_ " _Are you sure you're okay? Was it a bad dream? Would you like to talk about it?"  
_ _Nico sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose._ Why do people keep asking if i want to talk about things? _He thought. He knew hazel meant well though and the last thing he wanted was to upset her. "It's okay. I'll see you at breakfast."  
_ " _Promise?"  
_ " _Promise."_

"You promised." Hazel looked rather furious, or maybe disappointed, as she stared at Nico who was now lying on his bed. He had not at all intended to go to breakfast but he also had not anticipated that Hazel would come back to confront him on the issue.  
"I'm just tired, Hazel" Nico sat up to face her.  
He watched her face for what felt like an eternity. The sun shone off her curls making them shimmer like gold, and her intense eyes seemed to be analysing his every breath. Eventually her expression softened and her shoulders slumped "This is the second day you've missed breakfast.. If there's a problem you can tell me. People are starting to worry. Annabeth, Leo, Percy.."  
Nico chewed at the inside of his cheek. He wasn't exactly one to stay in one place very often, but he supposed he had been getting into a routine as of late. And now that his routine was changing yet again, well, it wasn't completely bizarre that it had caused concerns. "Today was a one off thing. Yesterday was.. Different." The boy stood up again and placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "You should get going. People will be asking where you've disappeared off to next. They'll say I'm a bad influence on you" He smiled faintly at her, which seemed to lift her spirits.  
Hazel nodded determinedly and hesitated as if she wanted to say something else, before turning to leave. Just as she was about to step through the doorway and into the sunlight, Nico called after her "If anyone asks, I'm sick, okay? I just need to rest today"  
She shifted uncomfortably, he thought she would refuse but Nico knew his half sister could tell just how exhausted he was. Hazel nodded before leaving. The sound of the door closing behind her was one of the last sounds he heard before his mind began to calm, welcoming sleep with open arms. He almost managed to drop off before he felt a strange presence and snapped his eyes open, what he saw staring back at him could have stopped his heart quicker than a lightning bolt to the chest.

-Page Break-

"We really have to stop meeting like this" Will smiled at Nico from where he was stood. Nico seemed to pale -more than usual- and stared back at Will with a horrified expression. Dumb joke, sure. He'd have been terrified if he awoke to find someone at the foot of their bed. "I did knock? It's just, you didn't-" he passed his hand over his face quickly to check there was nothing stuck to his face or anything. "I overheard Hazel mentioning that you were feeling sick. I thought I'd drop by and check up on you?"  
"You didn't have to" Nico seemed to regain his composure and sat up slightly, readjusting his pillows so he could sit comfortably.  
"It's kind of my job. I don't really have a choice" Will rocked back and forth on the heels of his feet slightly, trying to sound nonchalant. In all reality as soon as he overheard Hazel speaking to Percy about Nico's absence he felt two things. First was excitement. If Nico was feeling unwell then that could give Will an excuse to see him again. Maybe demand some infirmary time to get to know the kid more. The second feeling was a mixture of guilt and worry. It was selfish of him to think that way. If Nico was really sick, it would be awful. Regardless Will had made his way over as soon as possible. Will flashed Nico a smile, "You don't have a choice either."

"Do you mind?" He had walked over to Nico's bedside and sat on the edge as he hovered his hand over the pale boy's forehead.  
"Go for it." Nico muttered.

Being a total medical professional and all, Will noticed tiny things about the human body that others wouldn't. For example the way Nico's eyes were darting around very subtly almost as if he were looking for an exit. It gave Will the sense that his patient felt uncomfortable and wanted to find an escape route of sorts. Will's presence was not welcome here.  
He had experienced this many times. On occasion it was too much for someone, especially a person in pain to be examined and it could cause them to panic. Nico didn't seem too distressed but it was something he would have to keep an eye on.  
Will gently placed his hand on The other boy's forehead. There was nothing unusual so far in his opinion so he scooped up the other boys hand and traced his way down a place wrist to find Nico's pulse point.  
He counted with every beat. The pace was unusually fast. This kind of heart rate paired with erratic eye movements. Will glanced up again; Nico's shoulders were squared, stiff. He was nervous.  
It was a funny notion, because he knew what Nico could do. He had heard what Nico had faced. The son of Hades, so strong, stoic, fearless. Afraid of a simple check up? It didn't fit.

Then, to avoid the possibility of the infamously powerful son of Hades having a panic attack, Will began to sing. Another of those silly non enchanted Mortal songs. He wasn't sure why he chose the song he did. Maybe because he knew deep down, Nico wasn't sick at all. His temperature was maybe a little cold, but with a complexion like his it was expected. And his heart rate? Unrelated. Nico was completely faking being sick, it was obvious.  
Maybe he chose the song because it was called " _heartbeats_ "? The song was soothing and followed a simple calm melody. Perfect to ease the situation.  
It should have been second nature for Will to have sung a hymn to his father. It was what Nico would have expected from the current situation, but he found himself singing a silly old regular song. Also while Will shouldn't have, for some reason, he found himself playing along with Nico's little 'sick' routine.. It didn't occur to him until he reached the line, That one line.. That his chosen song was completely inappropriate. His heart lurched and he stopped himself before he could sing that line. He felt his cheeks redden.

The paler boy's heart rate had slowed ages ago but Will had been so caught up in the melody that he had almost forgotten what the song was about and that line. As he pulled away he cleared his throat lightly.  
"You seem fine. Maybe just get some rest and get back at it tomorrow. Probably exhausted.." his voice trailed off as he finally brought his eyes back to Nico's. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly. For a moment he seemed mad, however he simply asked "what was the promise?"  
The blonde tilted his head slightly.  
"The promise? You stopped singing after ' _We had a promise made'_ What was the next line? I want to know."  
Will stared back at Nico and for a moment seemed to get lost in those deep eyes. There was something so inviting about their darkness. He shook his head and forced a smile, "Get some rest, I'll tell you when you're better"  
Will couldn't leave soon enough, now it was his turn for his heart to race. The missing line seemed to turn circles in his mind, even blurring over his vision, crushing his lungs.

 _We were in love._

Too soon, Solace. Too soon.


	6. Chapter 6 - Roll Away Your Stone

**~~Long time no see yet again dear readers. I must admit I haven't been too active as I've been lacking inspiration and energy to do absolutely anything. It's just that time of the year when my mind betrays me, but I owe it to you all not to be a coward and retreat into a hiatus. I will try to write at my best, but please forgive if my writing lacks a spark.. I love you all! Don't forget to send me in requests for songs you want featured 3 you can even send me ideas for one-shots or AU ideas. I'm open to anything that will keep me busy x)**

 **Song: Roll away your stone by Mumford & Sons**

 **Playlist for fic:** **/spacedustdreamer/mortal-music**

 **Enjoy~~**

If asked for a reason why, Will probably wouldn't have been able to give a valid explanation for his intent on overworking himself lately without looking like a coward. He had been extra careful to keep himself busy and never let a moment go to waste. He was the first one up every morning, washed and dressed within minutes before rushing to complete the first activity or task of the day. He was the first one to finish eating at meal times and usually left his seat at the table, alongside a still half full plate, before any of his siblings noticed. Training sessions went by like a flash as he seemed to work harder than he ever had before. And every spare moment he had was spent at the infirmary, tending to those in need of medical attention, or organising the shelves and cupboards every hour, or counting and recounting the supplies of Ambrosia and Nectar until he lost count and had to start all over again.

It was almost a relief, to Will and everyone around him when Capture the flag rolled around and the injured camp members piled in, creating a stuffy air around the wards and taking up space in every bed, chair and then some. It gave Will a moment to focus on something he was really good at, however it was obvious to him that his half brothers and sisters didn't feel the same excitement and relief that he did.

Whenever Will passed by another healer he felt their eyes creeping up on him. They would whisper or mutter to each other. A few hesitated as if they didn't trust his judgement or advice before quickly rushing along to whatever duty they had to perform next; providing painkillers, healing wounds, resetting bones was always a tricky one, giving out Ambrosia or Nectar.

After a while of funny looks and irritating whispers, Will snuck a glance in the nearest mirror, a small square shaped one on the inside of a cupboard door. He almost didn't recognise the young man staring back at him. He shared the same golden hair and blue eyes but the eyes that watched him seemed wilder, yet tired. As if the body they belonged to was already running on empty. His complexion seemed pale, as if he were permanently in a state of shock.

It suddenly stuck Will just how tired he was. How long had it been since his mini freak out? Two days? Three? No, Four. Four days he had spent hurrying himself along, all in an attempt to avoid Nico.  
Well not _Avoid_ as such. That was such a strong word.  
More like, _resist communication.  
_ No, that sounded bad too..

Whatever way he put it sounded bad and cowardly in his mind. He had panicked. After his last little round of nursery rhymes with Nico he had panicked. It was rather ironic. How much stress had Will Solace, Leader of Apollo Cabin and possibly the best healer, or at least the most relied on. The younger campers in his cabin looked up to him. And there he was, walking round in a trance like a zombie with a sugar rush, all because he had mistakenly sung a measly little love song to Nico di Angelo.

Well enough was enough. Will had to do what was expected of him as a leader and take a break in order to regain composure, If he wasn't fit to take responsibility for his own well being he wasn't fit to lead a cabin.  
Being roused from a nap is never nice, especially when it is a calming dreamless sleep, a rarity for demigods. But alas Will was woken by the sound of excited chattering outside. He stood up from his bed and looked out of the window. Demigods were all walking towards the campfire, grinning and laughing. After weighing up his options Will decided he could afford a couple hours surrounded by friends. He pulled on his shoes, glad he had napped in his clothes, checked his hair in the mirror and chased a few fellow demigods down the path towards the sound of music and the warm glow of fire beyond the trees.

-(page break)-

Nico had no problem with the campfire sing-a-longs. At least he didn't when he wasn't urged to join in the singing and festivities by the ever happy-to-sing-in-front-of-a-crowd Apollo cabin kids. What made it worse was that some of the Aphrodite kids had suddenly felt the need to become active and involved in camp activities.  
It had started when Jason and Piper had begun swaying absentmindedly to the music from where they were sat. A few of Piper's closer friends in her cabin squealed at their leaders 'cuteness' with her boyfriend. They eventually made such a fuss that somehow Piper and Jason had ended up stood in the middle of the crowd, smiling and laughing as they danced. The Apollo kids leading the sing along switched to a faster paced song, and boys and girls from the aphrodite cabin alll around the circle stood up, grabbing others by the hand and leapt around like very image conscious rabbits on a sugar high.

Eventually they got past their excitement and seemed to circulate into some sort of dance around the fire. Occasionally swapping between partners and continuing the pattern.  
It seemed bizarre and way too well formulated for this not to have been planned beforehand. However the occasional yelp of toes being stood on, or flushed faces following a wrong step, and embarrassed laughter seemed to prove him wrong. Whatever crazy ritual this was, it was definitely natural, un-planned and almost admirable. Nico smiled as Hazel span past him, partnered up with a bumbling, blushing Frank. It could have been his nerves, but Frank had the worst case of two left feet Nico had ever seen. Nico glanced down to make sure Frank hadn't turned into a horse from the waist down or anything, it would explain the stumbling. Regardless, he and Hazel looked over the moon in the thirty seconds of dancing they shared before they were spun off to their next partners.  
It was strangely admirable to watch, this forest full of natural born and bred warriors and heroes, working in almost complete harmony for something other than cutting a monsters head off.

Nico would have kept his smile if a daughter of Aphrodite hadn't swept past him, pulling him up into the whirlwind of music and movement. His shoulders stiffened immediately at the unexpected contact but he knew how these things worked. He just had to grin and bare it until he could dance his way out of the circle, just without the grinning. At least that was the plan, until he caught the sound of a familiar laugh.

Nico stepped around his dance partner in rhythm with the rest of the group just in time to see Hazel partner up yet again with Frank. His heart warmed slightly as he regarded the expression on his beloved half sister's face. Pure and warm, as if she had never suffered as much as she had. It lasted only a second, but he saw it. Then as she smiled, wise once again beyond her years and strong enough to face unthinkable suffering, Nico felt an un-explainable amount of pride. She wasn't Bianca, She could never replace her. But she was Hazel. His other sister, and he could never ask her to be anything else. Not a replacement, not a consolation prize. Just Hazel.  
They had been through so much hardship, but to see her happy like that made everything seem worth it. She was definitely a beacon of light in his crazy dark life.  
And speaking of beacons of light, Nico was whisked off through the music, away from his current partner and away from his sisters laugh, into the arms of his next partner.

"Solace," Nico muttered plainly, but inside he was practically tripping over himself. He was suddenly very conscious about the fact that his palms were becoming sweaty and his chest began to ache.  
Will simply smiled and continued following the dance steps.  
Nico held his tongue. Maybe people weren't supposed to speak during this? It could have been some crazy camp tradition after all? He was just grateful for all those years ago when Bianca would drag him around the living room dancing excitedly. Bianca had convinced him that dancing was a fun and important skill, and so they learnt to dance in their own fun way. Bianca knew the basics but they were too young and would always turn it into some bizarre game, not that either of them minded.  
Time had seemed to drag on a lot more since Nico had seen Will. He hadn't really seen him around camp that much at all and he looked slightly different from when they last met. Will seemed much more tired, almost apologetic.

Eventually, after a few seconds that seemed to last hours, Will spoke up. "Didn't expect to see you dancing."  
"You don't ever expect much though do you?" Nico didn't expect or mean for his words to come out sounding so harsh, he didn't actually realise until Will looked away, avoiding his gaze. "Do you know what's even happening right now?" Nico asked, eager to clear the awkwardness from the air between them.  
The other boy laughed as he watched the other campers dance around them "I have no idea," He glanced back at Nico, his grin seemingly playful, "I'm not complaining though. It's a nice change."  
In a series of swift movements Will raised Nico's hand above his head and span the shorter boy around once before falling back into the formation of the dance.  
Nico felt a lump form in his throat, "What is this? The Nutcracker?"  
"Not a ballet fan, di Angelo?" Will laughed again, his blue eyes glittering as he gazed off at the crowds again.

There was this unmistakable air around Will that Nico couldn't help but find insultingly infectious. This kid radiated good vibes. Everything about him was almost too chilled out and Nico was trying his best to keep his guard up in the ridiculous situation. It was humiliating enough without this blonde ray of sunshine turning the whole charade into some silly game.  
It made Nico almost angry at how fine Will was with all of it. He could feel his ears burning up, he clenched his jaw, biting back any words he may let slip.  
Will's smile faded, "I think.. I was avoiding you these last few days."  
Nico's heart thudded uncomfortably, "What?"  
Will's face seemed to flush red, but it could have been the fire playing tricks with the light. Before he could explain the lines shifted and Will was pushed aside as a young girl from the Hermes cabin replaced Will as Nico's new partner, something she looked less than happy about.

Honestly, that was the last straw. All he needed was one more thing to tip him over the edge and that had truly been it. Nico ripped away from the circle of dancing campers, (the daughter of hermes looked more relieved than shocked.) Nico didn't realise until he was halfway engulfed by darkness that he was shadow travelling away from the fire and into the safety of his cabin walls.

 **#Angst #STOPME #PleaseTommyPlease #OopsWrongFandom #SrslyTho #Loveyouguys #SendMeSongs**


	7. Chapter 7 - You Only Live Once

**~~Hey Hey, I got such a beautiful review and it made me so happy today! I actually wrote two chapters! I don't know how to find reviews on the computer yet, I'm useless aha.. But thank you to that wonderful soul!**

 **You'll get the next chapter tomorrow, then nothing for a while as I'm going on holiday '-' but I promise to update as soon as i get back!**

 **This chapter is kind of a two Part-er! I couldn't decide which song to use by The Strokes. They were botha variation of the same song but one was more angry and rebelious, where as the other is softer and more romantic. so for this part 1 we have! drum roll please..**

 **Song: _You only live once_ by The Strokes**

 **Playlist for fic:** **/spacedustdreamer/mortal-music**

 **Enjoy~~**

In all honesty Nico wanted to leave camp altogether. He felt a strange spark of humiliation by the whole situation.

" _I was avoiding you these last few days"_

Will Solace had been avoiding him? Why did that confession hurt him so much? Nico knew why, and it only seemed to hurt him more. Maybe he cared for Will more than he wanted to admit.  
 _Scratch that_. Nico immediately tried to wipe the thought from his brain, but it was too late. The thought was already planted and rooting itself into the soil of his mind. Pretty soon it would sprout a small bud which would flower into something unbearable; spreading it's sickly sweet scent through his senses and drugging his sense of rationality, making him reckless and useless.

"What's wrong with me?" Nico mumbled, slapping his palm against his forehead "I'm so stupid!"  
"well, I wouldn't say that.."  
Nico turned, his hand instantly at his belt, ready to grab his sword, but he remembered Hazel had persuaded him not to take it to the campfire. his sword still sat against his bed across the room. But he wouldn't be needing his sword. At the door stood Will. Or maybe he _would_ need his sword in that case?

"I'm not going to lie, I didn't knock that time." Will leaned back on his heels slightly.  
Nico rolled his eyes and turned away to walk over to his bed. "What do you want, _Solace_?" it was a low blow but Nico put as much stress on the other boys last name as possible, filling his voice with spite.  
"Not a fight." Will winced slightly before he smiled nervously "Nice reflexes though."  
Nico remained silent. He didn't want to play a stupid verbal game of cat and mouse. Not after what happened earlier.  
"We kind of got interrupted back there," Will gestured behind him "I was hoping we could talk?"  
Nico shook his head, "I don't want to talk to you. Or to anyone. I like my space"  
"I only need five minutes."  
"No, just leave me alone."  
Will's voice raised slightly. Not in an aggressive way. It was more desperate, but Nico could have imagined the pleading tone that wavered through the taller boys voice for a second. "I just need to talk to you about it! I don't want-!"  
"Get out, Solace!" Nico snapped "Besides, I didn't give you permission to be in here.. You're like a bad spirit." His voice was barely a mumble at this point. Nico didn't take his eyes off their fixed point, staring at a crack in the floor boards.  
A moments silence hung in the air. It was soon replaced by the sound of footsteps and a door closing.

Nico lost track of time. He could have been staring at the floor for a minute, or an hour. For all he knew, the whole world could have passed him by and he was still there, staring at that crack in the floor. He would have bet all his golden drachma in the latter. That was until he heard the sound of music playing outside his door. Nico furrowed his eyebrows and stood up slowly, this time taking his sword with him. When he opened the door, his embarrassment swarmed back to him.

There was Will "No Regrets" Solace stood on the steps of his cabin. Nonchalantly, as if he were simply drinking in the sights of the camp grounds. His shitty little cabin music player at his side, blasting out some indie rock song that Nico had never heard. Will had probably never even heard it. He had probably just put in the first tape that he could find.

Nico became suddenly very aware of the fact the campers that were milling around the grounds by the cabins were staring at them.  
"What in the name of the River Styx are you doing?" Nico growled.  
Will glanced up at Nico as if noticing him for the first time, "You wouldn't listen to me. I needed to get your attention somehow. And hey, I'll try anything once."  
Nico clenched his fist tighter around the handle of his sword.  
"Well?" the blonde smirked faintly, proud at his work. "Have I got your attention?"  
Anger bubbled up in Nico's chest, followed by more embarrassment and shame as he stormed over to the other boy, gripping the front of his shirt tightly in his fist, "Get inside. Now."  
Nico dragged Will, who managed to pick up his music player again, across to the door and slammed it shut behind them before turning back to Will with a fury in his eyes and knots in his stomach.


	8. Chapter 8 - I'll Try Anything Once

**~~Hi Hi!**

 **So this is part two of chapter 7 - You Only Live Once!**

 **This chapter is using the second song by the Strokes**

 **sorry for the sort intro, I hope you like this chapter!**

 **Song: I'll try anything once**

 **Playlist for fic:** **/spacedustdreamer/mortal-music**

 **Enjoy!~~**

Will stared back at Nico as his dark eyes tore through the darkness between them and into Will's soul. Time ticked on and the music still filled the air around them. The track eventually stopped and went onto the next, another version of the same song, a demo if he remembered rightly, although he could have been wrong. Seconds passed before Nico looked away, shaking his head; his dark hair catching the movement and falling in a slightly different position, yet still framing his face like a dark halo.

"I didn't really think you were upset about what I said back at the campfire until you threw me out earlier." he felt stupid admitting that but also relieved.

Nico made a sound that seemed to be a mix of a laugh and an exhalation of disbelief as he dropped his sword on his bed. He crossed his arms across his chest and turned to stare out of the window at the moonlight. Will stared at Nico's arms. They were thin yet well toned as if he substituted meal times for sword fighting lessons. The moonlight placed a haunting paleness to his skin that contrasted greatly against his dark shirt making him seem even more ghostly.

He continued, sensing no obvious protest or aggression from Nico, "I thought you were just done with social interaction for the day or something, just like your usual broody self. But I followed you. I figured it would be the only chance I'd get at catching you for a while"

Will also realised in that moment that there were no lights on inside the cabin. The only source of light came from the moon, casting shadows darker than the sun could and making surfaces glitter with a timeless glow.

"I did follow you. For a while at least, until you quite obviously shadow travelled that is. Which is a ridiculous waste of energy." Will took a breath and continued. "So I ran all the way here. I guessed it was where you'd be. Pretty good guess huh?"

No answer - Nico's shoulders seemed to tense slightly. It seemed that after all their meetings lately, the only part of Nico di Angelo that Will had become more familiar with was his back.

"And after I tried to speak to you about what I said, you turned on me and shouted at me to leave. So I figured that _I_ was the reason you left."

Silence hung heavy in the air, causing a lump to form in Will's throat.

"I was being pretty dense. It wasn't right to avoid you, i was just afraid. and -" he paused for another breath, shaking away his nerves. "I don't want to be the reason you leave places."

 _It's now or never_ , he thought as chewed on his lower lip, the sharpness of the action giving him the mental kick up the ass he needed.

"If anything, I'd like to be the reason you'd stay." As soon as the last word left rolled off Will's tongue, the Son of Hades tensed further.

Will seemed to be getting nowhere so he walked over to stand behind Nico and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Death Boy?" he said jokingly, but the other boy pulled his shoulder away.

Will tried again, placing his hand where it had rested before speaking softly, "Nico?"

Nico tried to pull away again but this time with less resistance, Will took this as a chance and continued to gently speak the other boys name, eternal choruses of "Nico? Nico.. Nico," until the word was barely a whisper lingering on his lips. He also eventually managed to carefully turn the boy around to face him and, in a reckless burst of courage, pulled him into a delicate embrace.

It seemed bizarre for Will to feel two heartbeats but he soon realised that he was holding Nico so close that he was also feeling _his_ heartbeat as well. Two unnaturally fast thumping hearts in the darkness drowned out only by the music playing across the room.  
Tense was probably an understatement to describe how Nico looked, his shoulders were still squared and his breathing was hitched. Will knew how much he hated physical contact but he also didn't know what else to say, or do.  
Will took a shaky breath, surprised at just how much he was trembling in the embrace. In another reckless moment driven by courage he stepped to the side slightly, swaying Nico with him, slowly and cautiously at first, until the two were dancing calmly to the music.

"What are you doing?" Nico's voice questioned, his head resting against Will's shoulder as if he were starting to relax slightly. His voice seemed on guard still. Will wondered if he was trying extra hard to keep up his exterior after his body had betrayed him by acting so relaxed in his movements.  
Will honestly didn't know what he was doing; It just felt right. "We didn't get to finish our dance earlier," He mumbled.  
Nico ever so slightly tightened his grip around Will and grasped onto his shirt. "You disgust me." his voice didn't sound harsh in that sentence. In fact it sounded as if The Ghost King himself were smiling through his words. And honestly, Will couldn't be happier at the fact.

All too soon the song ended and Will was still holding a rather quiet Nico in his arms. The current fragility and vulnerability that he was displaying to him in the moment caught Will off guard. He wondered if Nico would open the earth beneath his feet any moment to swallow him up so that he could never speak of the moment to anybody, nor remember it himself. But Will would never forget this moment. It was one of those precious little slices of time that were made to be remembered eternally.  
Will loosened his grip slightly, yet once again to his surprise his dance partner tightened his grip.

"Don't go yet" he paused, " _Solace_." His voice had a slight edge to it, almost as if he were hesitant to speak, but he also wanted to reinstate his pride to the situation. Nico definitely didn't speak his name with the same amount of malice as earlier.  
Will smiled and wrapped his arms around Nico again, "Sure thing, _di Angelo_." Will mimicked his tone, which earned him a half-hearted punch in the gut.

 _Worth it._

 **~~This will be the last chapter for a while guys as I'm going on a trip. But hold onto your hats! things can only go up from here! or horribly wrong :) ~~**


	9. Chapter 9 - Bloom

**~~Guess who's back?**

 **Moi!**

 **so, vacation was fun until I was hospitalised :) But I'm back now and doing okay. But I digress. Thank you for being so patient! I Love you all!**

 **Song: _Bloom_ by The Paper Kites**

 **Playlist for fic:** **/spacedustdreamer/mortal-music**

 **Enjoy~~**

If he didn't know any better Will would be pretty sure he was dying. He had spent the last two days awkwardly stumbling through his day to day business. He was restless, agitated and worst of all, he couldn't stop thinking about that broody little pain in the neck of a demigod, Nico. He had the urge to both lecture him and hold him close again every time he saw him. Will considered creating a fake prescription up so he could sneak away from his duties to see Nico.  
The whole thing was crazy and so unlike him but he felt strangely content through his insane torturous state. He knew that like a fever, it would pass, the giddiness, the anxiety that he felt whenever he saw Nico or heard his name mentioned.  
It was difficult to maintain composure and seem calm, cool and collected when your mind is filled with only one person each and every moment.

Eventually Will had enough of it all. He found himself stood in the doorway to his cabin in the morning, watching the passers by, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Son of Hades, (who, despite his seemingly cold and distant personality, was wonderful to cuddle. Seriously, he seemed to fit to Will perfectly.)  
"Why are you staring at everyone, dude?" Percy's voice cut through Wills silent observation, making him Jump. Will stared back at him silently for a moment, his expression unreadable. Percy raised an eyebrow and gave him a look as if to say _Hello? Earth to Solace? Are you even still in this solar system?  
_ "What?"  
Percy shook his head slightly and walked up the steps to stand beside Will, looking out at the passers by with exaggerated interest. "So have you found Waldo yet?"  
A moment passed and Percy let out a sigh. "Seriously? You need to lighten up. Girl troubles?  
Will shook his head, placing his hands in his pockets now, the movement seemed to make him feel more anchored despite his light headedness, "the opposite of that."  
Percy paused, "Girl _success_..?"  
"Not that kind of opposite."  
Percy shook his head as if he didn't have the time to analyse Will's words. Will hadn't actually noticed until that moment that Percy was staying light on his toes, his hands were twitching every now and then as if he had to dash off any moment to deal with other issues.  
"Spit it out then, what brings you here?" Will glanced over at Percy, The guy's hair was this bizarre kind of suave mess- windswept almost, with the occasional curl or flip that reminded Will of the sea. Percy was the son of Poseidon to the bone.  
"Annabeth has me on errand duty. Shes asked me to remind all the cabin counsellors of the meeting tonight after dinner. You are coming along right?"  
"Sure thing. I'll be there." Will nodded and looked ahead again as Percy nodded alongside him and made his way down the steps again.  
"Don't be late, Chiron wants to discuss cabin finances. Something about Ares cabin exceeding their limit by buying excess amounts of unauthorised barbed wire. _Again_."  
"It will be a long night then."  
"You bet. Better make the most of your day," Percy sighed. "Catch you later." and with that he walked off to the next cabin, looking less than pleased.  
Will looked back across the grounds again only to spot a familiar darkly dressed figure.  
' _Make the most of your day_ ' Percy had said.  
 _I intend to_ Will thought as he paced over to Nico.

"Hey, You." Will tried to suppress a grin and went for his usual casual expression.  
Nico's expression looked pained for a second before he regained composure and nodded "Solace,"  
"Stop cringing before I hug you again," Will regretted his choice of words as soon as Nico's eyes flared with anger, his dark hair did a good job of mostly hiding his ears, which were now bright red. "Hurry up and follow me." Will turned and began to walk towards the sound.  
"What? Why?" Nico called behind him but followed.  
Will would have paid a million drachma to relive the next moment. The sight of it was pure gold and worthy of at least a dozen replays. "You and Me are going on a date."  
Will wondered if Nico could have looked any more flustered, and if he could, he wouldn't believe it until he saw it.

-(page break)-

Something inside Nico broke and he seemed to be unable to function entirely. Did he hear Will correctly. "A what?" he choked the words out as if they were acid on his tongue.  
"You heard me, Death Boy." There was a playfulness in Will's tone that seemed to agitate Nico further. How could he be so bold and brash? It became apparent that Will was good at stirring up two emotions in Nico and they couldn't be more different.  
Yet, just as curiosity killed the cat, curiosity too, killed Nico's stubbornness and he decided to humour Will for perhaps a few more minutes.

The morning had become a beauty all of its own. While the weather had gradually been getting colder this morning was particularly mild. Insects sang arrogantly into the breeze, their symphony was carried along the air like a second wake up call. A few Tree Nymphs wandered among the strawberry fields harvesting the fruits to sell on. Nico wondered if the plants were magical too and could produce fruit all year round, he hadn't really paid much attention to it at all before on his scarce visits; perhaps Dionysus' power did not extend that far?  
They eventually approached the shore, just off the water of the sound. Nico could see a small homely set up beneath the shade of a tree that had grown along the shore, its trunk twisted and bent like it wanted to be part of the water. Beneath the tree was a blanket with a few extremely soft looking pillows on top. A small basket sat alongside the of the mountain of pillows.  
Nico felt his stomach flip.  
 _This is really happening_ he thought. _Ew_ also crossed his mind. It was just such a cliche that he couldn't help being a little embarrassed. Yet the gesture was also sweet.  
"Why are you doing this, Solace?" Nico sighed, "It's kind of-"  
"Shh!" Will turned abruptly and placed a finger to Nico's lips.  
Nico batted his hand away "what are you-!"  
"SHH!" Will repeated the action, his diamond eyes watched Nico, determined and proud. "No more speaking for you. Doctors orders." With that, Will grasped Nico's hand and walked closer to the shaded area. "Sit." he pointed at the blanket, Nico obliged begrudgingly.  
Will sat beside him and watched the water silently. It was calm today, lapping at the shore quietly, creating quiet 'shh' sounds.  
"I brought you here because I wanted to talk."  
"Again." Nico chided.  
"Again. In all honesty I have no idea why all this crap is here though.." his voice changed pitch in confusion at his last few words, and Nico knew he was just as puzzled and, according to the blush on Will's cheeks, just as embarrassed at the set up. "And the whole 'date' thing was just my idea of a joke. I honestly just wanted to talk."  
Nico glanced down at his side to one of the pillows. They did have a rather unnatural gold shimmer to them, as if woven with threads of gold or even bronze. The label stitched, or embroidered rather, into the side of the pillow confirmed Nico's suspicions.

 _90% silk_  
 _Woven with real Gold and Bronze thread._  
 _Hand wash only._  
 _Made on Mount Olympus._

"Your dad or mine?" Will asked, unimpressed.  
Nico nearly choked on the air he was breathing. He couldn't imagine his father setting up something like this and if he had then that meant he knew.  
Nico could, however imagine Apollo doing something ridiculously theatrical like this, but he didn't want Apollo knowing his business either. Aphrodite could also no doubt be behind this sickening show. Yet Gods or not, sometimes they should know when to keep their noses out.  
"I'd rather not think about that." Nico returned his gaze to the water also, resisting the urge to turn his head another ninety degrees to watch the other boy.  
"Nico.." Will finished before he had even begun. Whatever he wanted to talk about, all his courage had suddenly left him. He didn't need to watch Will, Nico felt it; the lack of sudden energy and enthusiasm, replaced by hundred kinds of anxiety,  
It was almost painful to see Will so agitated, he knew he had to do something.  
In a rather flimsy attempt Nico flipped open the lid to the picnic basket. "Might as well see what the gods have _blessed_ us with." his voice rang with sarcasm and he could have sworn that Will laughed quietly beside him.  
Within the basket was a plate of neatly packed sandwiches, a collection of luscious looking fruit, a glass bottle of pomegranate juice (which was almost certainly some sick joke in Nico's opinion) along with a stack of CD's wrapped in a golden ribbon and with a tag that read 'Hip _Mortal Music_ '. Under the CD's was a small portable CD player.  
"So blessed" Will chuckled as he peered over Nico's shoulder into the basket. "Might as well continue the habit and put on some music right?" He leaned over the shorter boy and winked as he grabbed the CD player and CD's.  
Nico pulled out the plate of sandwiches and placed them on the basket. He refused to touch the bottle of juice. "Bon appetit," he muttered.  
"Bone appetit, Death Boy." Will grinned to himself as he figured out the CD player.  
"Don't even." Nico warned.  
The other boy ignored his warning and proceeded to shuffle through the cases. "Pick a number between one and five."  
"Three," Nico picked up a sandwich and took a bite.  
"Easy Listening" Will read the title of the album Nico had selected as he took out the disc and inserted it into the device. "A collection of the smoothest songs around." He spoke like a TV advert voice over guy, trying too hard to seem chilled out all in hopes of selling a stupid CD.  
"Joy." Nico took another bite to suppress a smile.  
"Pick another Number between one and twenty two."  
"Thirteen."  
"Bloom" Will skipped through the tracks until he found the right one, Nico raised an eyebrow. "By the Paper Kites"  
"Never heard of it."  
"You have now" The blonde reached over and took a sandwich before sitting back to enjoy the music.

A minute or so passed and Nico had to give in to the drink that sat coolly in the basket, luckily whoever had sent them the hamper had packed glasses. He poured himself a glass and handed the other to his companion.  
As he drank he began to really listen to the song. It was pretty he had to admit, the melody had a slight chime to it that was indeed calming. Nico also took into account, for the first time, just how absorbed Will would get into music. He seemed to really appreciate it, despite his basic understanding of the art.  
The boy's eyes seemed so distant, lost in the melody. He took a sip of his drink, his gaze never shifting from the horizon. Will had such a naturally stunning appearance. Literally. It wasn't the first time Nico had noticed but in times of calmness when Will was content he seemed to radiate the light. Like the sun was drawn to his positive energy. The same way Nico could attract the shadows.  
It could be painful to think of just how different they were.

Will turned his head, clearly sensing Nicos stare, his shining eyes focused solely on Nico's, their gaze still soft yet so piercing.  
In that moment there was a strange spark in the air between them that made Nico's skin tingle and his breath caught in his throat.  
The two seemed to gravitate towards each other, slowly but surely, He could practically feel Will's life force radiating off of him, brave once again, like the sun reflecting off of a mirror in a blinding ray of light.  
They were so close now that Nico was certain he would completely lose his grip on reality and either panic-shadow-travel away or accidentally tear the ground open, releasing a horde of skeletons, which would definitely kill the mood.  
His hand gently grazed across Will's, who to his surprise locked fingers with him, intertwining their hands together, gently but reassuringly as if to say _it's okay, I'm terrified too.  
_ Nico would have sworn, that given maybe thirty more seconds they would have kissed, But apparently The Fates had other plans.


	10. Chapter 10 - Patience

**~~Yo, Mio Caro!**

 **Sorry for the delay guys, Uni stuff is cray cray right now. and I had a plan for the last cliffhanger, but someone left a comment and I was like HOLY COW YES. So I toned it down a bit and made this their fate ;)**

 **It's not gonna drag out too long, unless you want it to, let me know. Also I updated quite a lot and edited and changed things since I finished the HoO series. So if you want to, please reread it and hopefully things will make more sense.**

 **There are some more sensitive scenes in this chapter I guess? Scroll to the bottom before reading if you want a more in depth yet spoiler filled warning, just so you know what its getting into. If not, read away as normal.**

 **No song inserted in this chapter, but it was quite inspired by this song!  
** **Song for chapter: _Patience_ by Low Roar  
** **Playlist for Fic:** **/spacedustdreamer/mortal-music**

 **Enjoy~~**

Silence.

Silence and darkness- there was nothing more.

He tried to grasp onto things or words or memories, but there was little to hold onto. It took him a while to figure out who he was. What he was.  
 _I am Nico di Angelo,_ he thought. _Son of Hades_.  
Everything else was a blur; foggy and dull like a distant alternate reality. The only real reality was the darkness. The shadows that curled around his soul, dragging him further and further away from the light. Every time the dark seemed to pull him to the edge of nothingness a faint warmth would tow him back in, a not-quite-touch or a voice that struggled to reach his conscious.

"Nico?-" It would call, warm and familiar.

"Don't do this-.." Distant yet not quite unreachable, "Not to me."  
Silence and darkness.

Word echoed, broken and muffled like a phone call with bad reception. "Hang in there you son of a-.."  
There was nothing more.

-(Page Break)-

Shadow travel wasn't as terrifying as Will imagined. He had pictured terrifying horrors and eternal tunnels of unknowing darkness. Instead it was more like being stuck on a G-force speed roller coaster at night time. The blood curdling, heart stopping, terrifying moment was finding himself stuck in the middle of nowhere with a frail boy, rapidly fading away into the shadows beside him.  
"Nico?" Will stuttered as he looked down at the Son of Hades laid out limply on the ground beside him. He continued to stare blankly for a moment, feeling the blood drain from his cheeks. His sudden flow of nausea from the unexpected trip through the shadows had long since passed as he now had a more terrifying problem to deal with, but he didn't dare try to stand up.

It seemed to be just Will's luck. Try to kiss a guy and suddenly you're both transported halfway across the earth to god knows where. He had presumed Nico was down for the move, he didn't make any attempt to stop it from happening, but then again.. It could either be that he really hadn't wanted Will to have made that move, or that the gods were messing with them.  
Will leaned over slightly towards Nico's unconscious body. He seemed to be fading in and out of view, some parts of him hardly made the effort to pull themselves back to reality.  
Will reached out, "Hey?" His hand passed right through the boy's shoulder, causing him to draw his own hand back in fear, clutching it to his chest, breathless and wide eyed.  
"Don't do this.." He muttered as he shuffled over to Nico again, cautiously this time, "Not to me, Nico. Don't do this to me."  
Will began to try to shake the other boy's shoulder, but yet again his hand passed straight through.  
Options were running low and Will had no ideas how to treat a guy stuck in this situation. He had briefly discussed it with Coach Hedge, but it seemed so much more real here. Will didn't know how he could help Nico. He was useless.  
Memories of lost patients and bloody battles flooded into Will's mind, making him feel worse than before. His shoulders tensed and his hands began to shake. _Not again_ , he promised himself. _I won't be losing anyone else. Not him. Not today._

The following hours passed at a snail's pace. Will had managed to scout out the area. They had ended up somewhere in Florida, not too far from _Disney World_ actually, but Will felt like he couldn't be further away from " _the happiest place on earth"._ Luckily when they had been whisked away Will had been wearing his belt that had a small doctors first aid kit strapped to it, as normal of an accessory to Will as Leo's tool belt was to him. Will tried not to think too much about poor Leo Valdez.  
Asides from the usual bandages and ambrosia squares, it also contained a series of useful items that Will had only kept in there for one of those _just in case_ moments. Will couldn't think of any better time to take advantage of these items. The pack contained a small wad of mortal dollars rolled up and held together with a rubber band, a few golden drachma, a coil of string, a pair of scissors and a small Celestial bronze knife. Possibly mostly all junk, but you could never tell. Their location wasn't too obvious thankfully as it wasn't even like Will could have moved Nico.  
They were nestled peacefully in a hidden away alley between a series of stores. He had figured that one of the shops was some form of convenience store from what junk he could see overflowing from the trash cans a few metres away. Plastic wrapping from multiple bottles of water, discarded boxes from a multipack of thirty six chocolate bars. The light in their hidden alcove wasn't too bad, the sunlight wasn't direct but it was still hot. Will worried about leaving Nico exposed to the sun and its heat, but he also didn't want to shelter the boy, in fear that he would completely fade.  
What he really needed was a constant source of water and light, enough for him to send an Iris message to someone back at camp to inform them of the situation. He was out of luck with that so far.

After a couple hours of useless fretting he managed to calm himself enough to think straight. He thought the best course of action would be to purchase some kind of food and drink in case Nico came back to his physical form enough to actually consume food, he needed to keep his strength up. Will bit his lip, his eyes had rarely left the boy's face. They had not encountered any dangers yet luckily, but how long could he get away with leaving a son of Hades unconscious in an alley for before the monsters started lining up for a classic game of destroy the demigod?  
Will eventually forced himself to stand up, taking one more quick scout of the area before running around to the streets and into the store. He managed to find what he needed, grabbing some Gatorade, water, granola bars and a couple apples. The lady at the desk started trying to discuss something about the weather with him and how it was boosting tourism, but Will could hardly stay focused for more than two seconds; He kept worrying about Nico. He managed to pay and leave the shop with the supplies.

Luckily when he returned to their crash landing zone there were no monsters in view and Nico was still in one piece, so to speak.  
Will sat beside Nico and went back to staring at his sleeping face. Nico looked peaceful like this, he was soft when sleeping, youthful and carefree. His name suited him well di Angelo, meaning _Angel._ Will chuckled to himself, "Hang in there, Angel."  
Will's humour didn't last long; _hang in there_.  
Will had said those words too often. He had uttered them in fear, with fury, full of pain. There wasn't a way he hadn't uttered those words. There were many times Will wished that those words could save a person in ways he could never achieve alone. If he were stronger he could never lose a patient and he could save everyone. That way he would never forget because he wouldn't have to remember. It wasn't that he didn't want to remember the ones he couldn't save, he had actually sworn to himself that he would never forget. Yet it would still be nice to live in a world where he could save all of his patients, therefore he wouldn't have any lost souls to remember as they would be there with him.

A choked sob escaped Will's throat and he realised he was trembling again. Images passed through his mind.  
Red. Gold. Grey. Dust, dirt, blood. Cold screams ripping through the sleepless nights. Hot sticky skin trembling beneath his own shaking hands. The terrified faces of kids whose lives he had been trusted to save, yet he couldn't. The peaceful eyes of those who had already accepted their fate as they slipped away to whatever came next.  
The sound of battle and the thumping of blood rushing behind his ears as he remembered the pressure of figuring out the rations of both time and supplies between the fallen and injured. Will drew his knees up then placed his head between his knees as a lump grew in his throat. He locked his shaking hands behind his head, both to stop the trembling and to hold his palms against the thumping pulse growing at the base of his neck.  
There was a shame that seemed to take hold of him. Those kids had families, friends both in and out of camp. He wondered if those in the mortal world ever knew what happened to some of those kids and what they sacrificed. Will had done his best but as always, it was never enough. he was younger then and much less experienced in the field, he had no control over the situation and was in over his head. It was shameful and he had tried to hard to learn more, so that would never happen again. It couldn't happen again. He wouldn't let it happen again.  
"Hang in there you son of a-" His voice faded. Will would not speak ill of a God. And he would never dream of speaking ill of the dead.

It would be a rough night.

 **~~hey again.**

 **So I saw a post on tumblr that brought up the battle of New York in The Last Olympian and how Will Solace was basically pulled up from the battle to become the primary healer. A lot of campers and hunters and a tonne of magical creatures died during that battle. Characters we knew by name, and some we didn't. The post mentioned how Will would have had to deal with a lot of death over a couple days, and how they probably would have only reserved ambrosia and nectar for those literally dying. Most things would have had to be fixed with what little mortal painkillers they had and straight up surgical items. Will most likely, being so young at the time, wouldn't have left that battle unscathed too. Looking at most combat doctors in recent wars, between 11%-20% develop PTSD. And in a war with as much loss and as many young fighters as the battle of New York, a lot of those kids would also be suffering. And a young Will Solace would probably be included in that. Doctors in combat are often strongly affected by loss and issues with control when it comes to patients dying, as in war, relationships are built tightly because they are the only people you have to keep you company. so if a patient is lost in war, a doctor can take it as badly as the death of a family member and as some of these kids actually were related, you can imagine how heartbreaking it would be.**  
 **PTSD can be cured or helped at least, but it can return at any time, with or without warning. As it is now Nico that Will is facing possibly losing, and as he has little knowledge and almost no control over the situation it is most likely a suitable trigger for such flashbacks. This wont be a major plot point yet it wont be forgotten or thrown away. I like to treat issues like this with as much delicacy as possible.**  
 **I love Will and honestly love the idea of developing him further within this story, its just now he seems less two dimensional in my writing in my opinion.**  
 **If you or anyone you know suffers from a mental health issue, please seek help. It does a world of good even to simply talk.**

 **thanks for reading, I love you all :) ~~**


	11. Chapter 11 - A Secret for the Mad

~~Hi Hi

Here's a lil xmas gift for you all! This is the first draft so it is unedited XD excuse any mistakes!

I've been particularly inspired by This song for this chapter! I love this artist and this song gives me the ultimate feels for "it's gonna be okay(?)" kind of things :3

Song: Secret for the Mad by Dodie Clark

Enjoy!~~

Waking up to the sound of birds chirping and the sun gently passing over your eyelids isn't too bad of a way to wake up. Maybe less so when the sound of traffic fills your mind as well. Then of course there's the sudden panic of remembering you were on a 24 hour watch. Will woke up to all these things. As soon as he remembered where he was and what he was doing he sat bolt upright, looking towards where Nico was, or was supposed to be, lying unconscious. Nico was gone. Will felt his heart stop, "No." he muttered as he knelt down where he had left Nico. With a shaking hand and patted the floor.

"No, no, nonono!" Will brought his hands up behind his head, tugging on his hair, eyes wide. A sense of dread washed over him as he realised what must have happened. Either Nico had come back into reality while Will was asleep and some monster had come by and dragged him off; Being a child of the big three, Nico was a prime target any passing creature would most likely ignore Will and take great interest in tearing a child of the big three apart. Or, Nico had completely faded during the night. Will's chest began to ache as he tried to catch his breath.

What happened now? How could he go back to face the camp again? How could he tell everyone what had happened? Will felt his panic rising again. Just then the sound of plastic hitting the floor and the quieter _slosh_ of spilling water pulled him back to reality.

Will turned to see Nico sat in the shadows across from him. Nico looked almost confused, but otherwise comfortable, lounging in the shade with his back against a wall. He had one hand still suspended in the air, a bottle of water was on the floor in front of him. Nico watched Will for a second before swallowing awkwardly and asking "You okay?"

Will looked from the space on the floor to Nico then stood up, staring at the dark haired boy in disbelief. He took a moment before taking a breath and putting on his best stern expression, trying to force back any of the unhinged emotions he had just been feeling. He crossed his arms and glared at the other boy, "Nico. What the actual Fu-"

"You were sleeping" Nico began and casually picked up the bottle from the floor and recapping it. "I didn't want to wake you."

Will stared at Nico again his expression now full of disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"

"What?"

" _What?_ " Will repeated "Do you have any idea how much you worried me? You were out for hours! I could hardly see you. I couldn't touch you; I had no idea what sort of treatment to give you! Why the heck did that happen?"

Nico suddenly looked very interested in his water bottle. "I'm not sure. I thought I had it. But I guess the stress, nerves-" He sighed and looked down further his hair covering his face, "I don't know."

Will felt a flush of heat pass across his face as he remembered the situation that had caused all of this. He guessed that was why Nico was hiding his gaze; The blushing ghost king was the sort of thing you'd only see as some cute little chibi drawing on a Halloween card or something. Will shook his head, _back on track sunshine._

"Nico, I don't care if I was sleeping. You should have woke me up. You're important to-" He saw Nico twitch slightly and felt another wave of embarrassment. _You're important to a lot of people back at camp,_ his mind urged him to say but he fought back against his cowardice, he had decided a few days back to always say what he was feeling to Nico. "You're important to me. And not just as a patient. And i think you know that. I need to make sure you are safe and well."

Will didn't dare look at Nico.

"Well," Nico cleared his throat.

 _Well_. Just _Well_.

-(Page Break)-

Nico sipped on a bottle of _gatorade_ that Will had bought. The other boy was sat up against the wall on the other side of the alley, his head leaning back against the brickwork, eyes closed. He looked so comfortable relaxing in the sunshine but he had his hand clenched firmly around a bronze dagger causing his knuckles to turn white. It had been so long since he had seen Will hold a weapon, that wasn't during Capture the flag, that it seemed out of place.

Will had insisted that Nico stay put for a while. It took him a while to decide if Nico was allowed to sit in the shade but decided it would be best if he avoided too much heat so shade it was. Will had then given him a disgustingly sugary sports drink which was admittingly growing on him.

Will opened one eye and saw Nico still staring at him. He picked up an apple from the paper bag that held all the supplies he had brought and threw it over to Nico, who caught the fruit easily.

"Eat up. You still have to build up your energy." Will said before closing his eye again and going back into relaxation mode.

"I'm fine, Will." Nico muttered before turning the apple over in his hand, inspecting it disapprovingly

"Oh?" Will smirked, causing Nico to glance up quizzically, "So we're on first name basis today, huh?"

"Screw you." Nico muttered and took a bite of the apple as if to spite the other boy, which didn't really work when he thought back on it, but continued to eat the apple.

Will muttered something in reply and when Nico asked what his reply was a simple "Nothing!" and a cheeky smile as he kept his eyes closed, enjoying the sun. There was a strange giddiness to Will that sometimes that peeked through his lazy, relaxed exterior, that paired with his stubborn nature made up the perfect childish persona of a guy who never grew up mentally past age 6. Or at least it would if Nico didn't know any better. But sometimes he would glance at Will and see a sadness. He often would look sad when he thought no one was paying any attention.

Nico asked, "Are you okay?"

"Mmm-hmm." Came Will's reply.

"No, really." Nico could see the stress that had appeared on Will, a tense fear that wasn't there before. Or if it had been there before it had been skillfully concealed, only to resurface today.

"You don't have to hide anything. I've seen and heard my share of horror stories."

Will remained silent for a few seconds before sitting up properly again, now alert, eyes open.

Nico took a bite of his apple.

"You just scared me, Nico." he started.

No interruptions the message was clear; _Carry on._

Will sighed, he looked at the knife in his hand as if it held an unsavoury amount of weight now. He placed it down on the floor begrudgingly.

"It kind of goes back to the battle of New York." The sun seemed to hide behind the first clouds in absolutely forever as if echoing the fact that things were about to get complicated. Nico moved to sat next to Will, to no protest.

"It's always the same thing. The pressure of a situation, it can kind of take me straight back there." Will's eyes seemed to glaze over as he re-imagined the scenes of that day, "I can't forget the faces of everyone who was left in my care. Some of them younger than me, some older and more experienced. I knew all of them, whether it be just from passing them by at the campfire or from them being good friends of mine. I knew them all.. My half-Brothers and sisters." He paused to inhale deeply, blinking his eyes several times, "Gods- even my brothers and sisters."

Will then let out a slight laugh, "It just takes me back to those moments when I see someone I care about in a near death situation. It reminds me of the smell of blood, the sound of their screams, so many senses violated by loss."

Will tapped his foot nervously and looked back at Nico, "I can't lose-"

Nico became suddenly very aware of himself. Aware of how his heart was beating. Aware of the speed of his breathing. Of how the sun had warmed Will's Cheek under Nico's hand and how Will's lips felt against his own. Nico was very aware of how abrupt his choice was to silence Will's speech of self torment with a kiss. It seemed to work, for a moment Will seemed to melt back into relaxation.

"Want to know a secret?" Nico asked softly as their lips parted. He could feel Will's shaky breath on his own lips as he nodded.

"It gets better. Eventually." Nico traced his thumb across Will's cheek to rest on his lower lip and smiled faintly, "That's what I've heard at least."

A smile passed Will's lips too as he sat up, seemingly satisfied with himself to stare up at the sky, the sun passing out from behind the clouds again, timed perfectly as if planned for a Hollywood film or something of the sorts.

"Come on." Will muttered standing up, "Let's find our way home."

 **Merry Christmas folks,**

 **sorry for my depressing delay and absence once again maybe expect a chapter every two weeks or so until maybe spring because honestly my mental health isn't getting any better XD but hey, you guys and your lovely comments always make my day! i love you all so much more than words can say and I appreciate you putting in the effort to read my works!**

 **Happy holidays to all!**

 **see you soon Mon Cherie! ~~**


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